Safety clamp



,Sept 2, 1930. 'R F. WILLIAMS 1,774,623

SAFETY CLAMP Filed Sept. 28, 192'7 @Il Jur/677757@ wiin/mf@WZ/fj@am?,

l@ 0 www di@ Patented Sept. 2, 1930 PATENT OFFICE RICHARD F. WILLIAMS, OF EVELETH, MINNESOTA SAFETY CLAMP Application led September 28, 1927. Serial No. 222,544.

This invention pertains to safety clamps, and more particularly to clamps to be used in supporting, handling and positioning material otherwise difiicult to manipulate.

5 Difficulty has heretofore been encountered in handling large, heavy and bulky material. This is especially noticeable in handling heavy plates in construction and in repair in steel mills, shipyards, etc. For instance, it

`l may be oftentimes necessary in renewing plate liners on decks of the bodies of cars to lift out the old plate and to position. the new `plate in its place. In this particular case7 the new plate must be first laid down in its place '15 and the location of'theholes marked on the under side thereof as by the introduction of a pencil or marker through the holes in the deck fastening means and then to remove the plate, turn the same upside down and drill 20 the holes. It will be readily appreciated then that this large unwieldy plate must be revolved through an angle of at least 180CV which formerly required comparatively coniplicated and expensive machinery, or if done 25 with makeshiftv devices, was dangerous as no` positive locking means were provided to prevent movement of the plate. v

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device for more readily handling 30 material or parts to be worked.

Another object is `to provide a device which may be moved readily and locked in operating position.

Still another object is to providea device for handling plates and the like, whereby the plate or the like may be readily moved to and secured in such a position that it may be easily opera-ted on, without danger of the plate assuming dangerous or otherwise uni0 workable positions.

A further object is to provide a device for easily and positively handling material whereby said material may be securely placed in changed positions with no danger to the 1:0 operator or other persons.

A still further object is to provide a safety clamp for manipulating material which is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, is

positive in operation, and will fulfill all rew quirement's of service.

Vith these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

ln the drawings wherein like reference characters are used. to designate like parts,

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing a clamp assembly associated with a plate, said assembly7 being in locked position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of Fig. 1 taken substantially in the plane as indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the locking clamp shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the plain pivot clamp shown in Fig.` 1; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modification of the locking clamp.

The pivot clamp assembly consists essen tially of a locking clamp which may be fastened through suitable supporting chain links 11 to a trussed support 12 which may also support a plane pivot clamp 13 through suitable chain links 14 similar to the supporting links 11. It will of course be understood that the support 12 is provided with suitable fastening means 15 for the reception of the hook 16 of any suitable lifting mechanism such as a derrick, hoist or the like.

The locking clamp 10 consists of article securing means which may take the form of a notched body member 17 provided with slot or notch 18 for the reception of any material such as the plate 19. On either side of the notch shoulders or positioning members 20 are provided adapted to contact with the edge of the plate to hold the same in fixed position with reference to the clamp. Any suitable locking or fastening means such as the screw 21 may be provided in way of thel notch to fasten the plate therein. A trunnion bearing 22 is provided integral with the body 17 and is adapt-ed to be supported by a bar lilik 28 attached to chain links 11 and provided with a bearing 24, the bearing being adapted to have rotatable movement with respect to the trunnion but prevented from having longitudinal movement thereon by a suitable locking means such as the cotter pin :25. i `he bar link 23 is provided with a bifurated lug to which a locking member' 27 is iliivoted at 28, said member of which may be in the term ot a handle adapted to have engagement with a slot 29 provided in the eX- tende'l portion of the trunnion 22, it being raised that the slot is diy at right angies to the slot 18 and the path of movement et the handle 2T is in the plane of the bar link 23.

A locking member 30 in the form of a pin may be provided 'for maintaining the handle fixed in the slot Q9, said pin being insertable in an aperture 31 provided in the bifurcated end et the trunnion 22, and secured to the t sembly as by a chain 32 lixed to lug QG.

'lf he plane pivot link 125 comprises a notched body portion si() similar to the body portion 1T ot the locking pivot clamp 10, said body portion also beine` provided wi'h shoulders i1 similar to the shoulders Q0. instead, however, ot having a prolonged trunnion such as at :21, a trunnion or bearing is provided for the bearing #lli oli the bar link 4B, said trunnion being of su'liicient length to provide a bearing` and a fastening for the bar link. lt is of course understood that the body member i() provided with a notch or slot Li5 and tasti-ning means s6 for hredly cooperating l he plate 19. rleierring now more particularly to the iicatiou shown in Fig. 5, the notched i member 50, as in the case of the member 17, is provided with a suitable notch 51, locking means 52 and shoulders 53. The trunnion bearing is bifurcated and has a locking and operating handle 55 pivoted thereto at 5G for movement oi at least 180o as indicated by the arrow 57. rllhe bar link 5o supported from chain links 11 is provided with a bifurcated lug 59 suitably placed and adapted for the reception ot the locking handle 55 and is provided with an aperture for the rei-option ot the lockingpin 60 which maj.' be fastened to the device in any suitable manner such au by the chain 61.

lin operation, referring particularly to the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 11: inclusive, it will be seen that il is only necessary to position the plate i9 preferably adjacent its center ot' gravity within the slots 1S and l5 of the respective pivot clamps` securing said plate by means oi" the locking means 21 and 4f. Vith the locking` lever in released position. tl plate may be revolved lo a deed position waere it is locked in that position oy means ot engagement between the locking lever QT and the biturc: ted part ot' the trunnion 22 where, it being understood that the lever may be locked in position by means of the pin 30. The plate may then be lifted and moved to any desired position by means of the truss member 12 and the derrick, etc., where it may be marked, removed Fmi and then it may be revolved to a new position (i800 as shown) where it may be again locked.

ln the modification shown in Fig. 5, lever performs two functions, namely, that of locking the plate in a fixed position, such as by en @agement ot the lever with the lug 59 and the locking thereby by means of the pin (S0, and also that oi' providing a means for turning the plate as will be understood. li will readily be appreciated that any grouping oi the safety clamps may be used, i. e., either both clamps may be of the form shown in liig. 3, or both may be as shown in Fig. 5, or it may be preferred to use either of these clamps in conjunction with that shown at 13.

it is, ot course, to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact modifications shown, as it will be apparent that other and Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.

l claim:

1. In a lifting device, the combination of supports, a pair of spaced clamping members pivotally mounted for rotative movement thereon, each of said clamping members having spaced jaws for receiving and holding an article therebetween, a supporting member secured to each of said supports, one of said first named supports having means thereon tor preventing relative movement between a supported article and said first named supports.

2. In a lifting device, the combination of supports, a pair of spaced clamping members pivotally mounted for movement thereon, each of said clamping members having spaced jaws for receiving and holding an article therebetween, outwardly extending members disposed on each of said clamping members adjacent said spaced jaws and adapted to cooperate with said article for positioning the same, a supporting member secured to each of said supports for spacing said supports, one of said lirst named supports having a locking member mounted thereon and engageable with one of said clamping members for preventing relative movement between a supported article and said first named supports.

3. In a device oit t-he character described, the combination of article securing means, one ot said means including a member havingl a trunnion bearing integral with said member, said trunnion member having a locking member thereon, a supporting member associated with said trunniou bearing, locking` means associated with said supporting member and locking .memberI` and means for maintaining said locking means in locked positionl 4. In al device of the character described, the combination of article securing means, one of said means including a member having bearing means integral with the member, said bearing means having a notched extension thereon, a supporting member embracing said bearing means, locking means pivoted to said supporting member and engageable with said notched extension to selectively immovably lock said first named member, and means for maintaining said locking means in locked position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support having holding members secured thereon, one of said holding members including a trunnion, spaced jaws, and positioning members disposed adjacent said jaws and projecting outwardly therefrom, and a support pivoted to said trnnnion, said support being disposed intermediate said first named support and said holding member.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a support having holding members secured thereon, one of said holding members including a trunnion, spaced jaws, and positioning members disposed adjacent said jaws and projecting outwardly therefrom, a support intermediate said first named support and said holding member and pivoted to said trunnion, and means adapted to cooperate with said holding member and said second named support to maintain the same in relative fixed positions.

Signed at Eveleth, Minn., this 20th day of September, 1927.

RICHARD F. WILLIAMS. 

